Pipe wrench



Nov. 17, 1942. c. H. INGWER EI'AL 2,302,633

PIPE WRENCH Filed Oct. 20, 1939 INVENTORS, 042A H. 1N6 WER 8r WILL/AM 0. THE wES' ATTORNEY$.-

Patented Nov. 17, 1942 PIPE WRENCH Carl H. Ingwer, Illlyria, and William O. Thewes, Cleveland, Ohio, assignors to The Ridge Tool Company, North Ridgeville, Ohio, 2. corporation of Ohio Application October 20, 1939, Serial No. 300,446

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in pipe wrenches and method of manufacturing the same, and more particularly to a forged pipe wrench of the type shown in Thewes Patents Nos. 1,727,- 623 and 1,850,187, and the spring means for centering the movable jaw in the jaw housing.

Although forged pipe wrenches are relatively well known, there have been some deficiencies inherent in such wrenches due to the limitations of the structural form that may be obtained by forging. One particular disadvantage in forged wrenches has been that of providing suitable springs for holding the hook jaw centered in the housing so that the hook jaw is capable of forward and backward movement over the heel jaw. In many of the wrenches such as that shown in Bumgardt Patent 1,862,002 the spring falls out when the hook jaw and nut are removed. In the Thewes patents, above mentioned, the spring is held in by providing a recess in the interior of the casting. This type of recess cannot Very well be fabricated into a forged wrench. In the co-pending application of Clyde Wright, Serial No.218,740, filed July 12, 1938, a recess is provided for holding the spring in the housing, but necessitates an additional forging operation. It will be seen, therefore, that all of these prior means have their disadvantages, not the least of which is the increased cost of manufacture, which is a major item in articles of this character.

By the present invention, we are able to provide a forged wrench having all the desirable characteristics obtained by forging, and by a simple operation provide means for holding an improved type of spring guide for the hook jaw, thus affording in a forged wrench the advantages of the cast wrench.

Still other advantages of the invention and the invention itself will become more apparent from the following description of an embodiment thereof, which description is illustrated by the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a wrench handle and hook jaw housing, with the housing broken away and shown in medial section, and with a hook jaw guide and spring in position, and showing the hook jaw and adjusting nut in dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is an end view looking down on the housing with the hook jaw removed;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the hook jaw showing the spring removed from the housing; and

Figs. 4 and 5 are end and side views respectively of a modified form of spring,

Referring now to the drawing, throughout which like parts have been designated by like reference characters, and particularly to Fig. 1, the housing and handle are shown as being fabricated from a forging, the handle being indicated at I and the hook jaw housing at 2. The housing is provided with an opening '3 extending parallel with the handle and through which the threaded end 4 of the hook jaw 5 may extend. The opening 3 tapers, being narrower toward the bottom end. Oppositely disposed longitudinally extending grooves! and 8 are provided on the forward and rear walls of the housing 2 and extending from the top of the housing downward, terminating spaced from the end.

The housing and handle are forged from a heated blank, the first operation providing the general outline of the handle and the inner contour of the housing by a combined forging and piercing operation.

A hook jaw spring and. guide member 9 is provided adapted to hold the hook jaw centered over the heel jaw and to permit forward and backward movement thereover. To this end the spring comprises an open sided body portion Iil of substantially C-shaped cross section (see Fig.

'4) adapted to surround-and guide the threaded shank of the hook jaw on at least three sides. Tongues I2 and I3 are struck from the sides and are bent to extend at an angle therefrom, adapted to engage in the grooves in the sides of the interior of the housing.

Means for retaining the spring in the housing channel I3 is provided and comprises a circular lug [4 spot welded to the inside wall of the housing. The lug is adapted to extend into a circular opening 1 5 formed in the side of the spring.

The spring is assembled in the housing by pushing the spring down into the housing to that point where the opening I5 snaps over the lug 14. The hook jaw is then slid through the housing and the nut I1 screw threaded on the end of the threaded shank. The lugs 18 serve as a stop for one side of the nut, while the bottom edge of the housing serves as a stop for the other side.

The shank of the hook jaw is closely embraced by the body of the spring and the body of the spring is free to pivot about the lug 14. The spring tongues I 2l'3 extend into the channels 1 and 8 bearing against the bottom thereof and hold the jaw centered in the housing a small amount of clearance is provided between the guide member 9 and the front and back housing Walls in the housing. This clearance may be enlarged over that shown should it be found desirable.

As best shown in Fig. 5, we have illustrated a modification of the spring and guide which differs from that previously described in that the opening is elongated. In this modification the fulcrum of the spring guide may be at the lower end, the slot 15' permitting the body to rock back and forth about the lug 14.

It will thus be seen that we have provided a novel attachment for the spring in a forged wrench and the method of making the wrench, which simplifies the construction and results in a considerable savings in manufacture. The construction further provides a completely concealed spring which may be readily assembled in the wrench and replaced in the wrench by a new one if broken. We thus have the advantages found in the previous cast wrench handles and housings and the advantages of a forged handle and housing.

Having thus described our invention in an embodiment thereof and a method of making the same, we are aware that numerous and extensive departures may be made therefrom but without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

. We claim:

1. In a pipe wrench of the class described, a forged handle and integral hook jaw housing, a hook jaw having a threaded shank extending through said housing, a guiding and centering spring for said housing, and a lug welded to the interior of the housing in the mid-section thereof and engaging said guide to positively retain the guide in the housing, said guide being removably engageable with the lug and arranged to pivot thereabout.

2. In a wrench of the class described comprising a forged handle and a hook jaw housing extending alongside the handle, a channel formed through said housing longitudinally relative to the handle and being wider at the top than the bottom, a hook jaw for the said wrench having a threaded shank extending through said channel in said housing, a guide for centering and guiding said hook jaw comprising a body slidably embracing at least two sides of the hook jaw shank and having springs extending from the sides and engaging the front and back walls of the housing, an elongated opening in said guide and a circular lug spot welded to the inner housing wall for engagement in said opening in said guide, said guide engaging the walls of said opening adjacent the bottom of the housing to restrain movement of the guide and the upper end of said guide adapted to rock with the hook jaw about said lug.

3. A pipe wrench of the class described comprising a forged handle and a hook jaw housing extending alongside the handle, a channel formed through said housing longitudinally relative to the handle and being wider at the top than the bottom, a heel jaw on the end of the handle adjacent the channel, a hook jaw for said wrench having a threaded shank extending through said channel in said housing, a guide for centering and guiding the hook jaw in said channel comprising a body slidably embracing at least two sides of the hook jaw shank and having springs extending from the opposite sides and engaging the front and back walls of the housing, an opening in mid-section of the other wall of said guide, and a lug on the side of the housing channel wall extending into the channel for engagement in said opening in said guide to positively retain the guide in the housing, said guide being free from the front and back walls of said housing and arranged to permit swinging movement of the upper end thereof to allow the end of the hook jaw to swing over the heel jaw.

4. In a pipe wrench of the class described including a forged handle and hook jaw housing, a hook jaw having a threaded shank extending through the housing, a spring guide and centering member for the hook jaw comprising a body portion having front and rear walls connected to each other by a side wall with the front and. rear walls spaced from the housing walls and adapted for sliding engagement with the hook jaw, and said guide side wall formed to provide a circular opening in its mid-section, a circular lug secured to the inner wall of the housing by spot welding and engaged in said opening by said guide being retained in the housing thereby and adapted to pivot about said lug.

CARL H. INGWER. WILLIAM O. THEWES. 

